Expressway project referred to RDC

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Development Council (PDC) executive committee referred yesterday the Metro Cebu Expressway project to the Regional Development Council for further deliberation.

The P26-billion road project spans 74 kilometers from Naga City in the south to Danao City in the north. The amount was based on the zonal valuation, according to Engineer Lea Negre of the CEDCO Engineers.

CEDCO is a private engineering consultant commissioned by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to conduct a feasibility study on the road project.

 DPWH is set to start the implementation of the project next year in a bid to construct a high standard arterial road in order to meet Metro Cebu’s traffic demand by 2050.

 This six-lane and four-lane expressway, which will be implemented in three parts, will snake through the countryside with tunnel and overpass components.

 DPWH-7 Planning Division and Design head Engineer Nonito Paylado said they will prioritize the construction of Segment 3 or the south central area — Minglanilla to Naga City — because it is cheaper and less tedious to construct considering existing barangay roads.

Segment 1 (central portion) covers Talisay City to Mandaue City, while Segment 2 (northeast central) includes Consolacion to Danao City.

 Studies for all phases of the expressway project have been completed and are on the advanced stages of implementation.

 The CEDCO has identified the Mandaue City, Liloan town, and Mactan area in north; Naga City, Talisay City and Cebu City in south; and United Nations Avenue and Plaridel Street in Mandaue City as the major congestion corridors.

Negre said traffic problem in Metro Cebu is expected to worsen with the coming of major infrastructure developments, including the bus rapid transit, port commercialization, international port in Consolacion, and north coastal road, among others.

 Passengers in Metro Cebu are expected also to increase to around 1.2 million by 2037 or 20 years from now.

 Negre said passenger projection for Segment 1 ranges from 400,000 to 499,000; Segment 2, 300,000 to 399,000; and 200,000 to 299,000 for segment 3.

Negre said the project would have at least 19 distributor roads, which stretch to two to three kilometers, to south road to help ease traffic.

 “New hillside/upland road to function as south-north bypass to urban road network from Naga to Danao with distributor roads to Cebu South Road,” Negre said.

 Paylado also said there’s a need to regulate the number of vehicles that will ply the expressway to avoid traffic congestion.

“This will serve as expressway and we want to have a free-flowing traffic. Regulate the vehicles so we will able to address the traffic dilemma,” he said. (FREEMAN)